The Utica City School District Board of Education recently approved several changes to a more than $10 million construction management contract, including extending it through 2016.

The district hired the Rochester-based Pike Company in April 2008 to manage its $187.6 million capital construction project. But that initial 70-month contract was set to expire early in 2014, before the project’s fourth phase could be completed, said Terry Damon of Armlin, Damon & McMordie, the project firm overseeing the project.

“They needed a 2-year extension,” Damon said.

The Board of Education approved that extension in a 6-1 vote last week, along with a nearly 5 percent increase in the amount of the contract.

The additional $475,000 includes fees and services for phase four of the capital project, including work at Columbus, Hugh R. Jones and Watson Williams elementary schools, and brings the total value of the contract to $10,856,000.

As part of the extension, the contract also was converted from a cost-plus-fee contract to a lump-sum contract. Damon said that change was made because the original contract was based on a conceptual schedule before the public approved the referendum, and before the architect and Armlin, Damon & McMordie were hired.

Now that the schedule is defined, the two sides can agree to a fixed contract, he said.

Construction managers from The Pike Company could not be reached for comment.

Board President Christopher Salatino and members Margaret Buckley, Donald Dawes, Evon Ervin, Barry Goodwin and Michele Mandia voted in favor of the change.

Board Vice-President Louis LaPolla voted against.

LaPolla said he was concerned because the extra $475,000 for the state-aid-funded project will be paid for with contingency funds, and because he feels the district should have known about the costs up front.

“There’s no money coming from the taxpayer budget, but then on the other hand I don’t feel they’re entitled to any additional money,” LaPolla said. “When someone builds a house they know how much it’s going to cost them up front to build that house. It’s the same thing here.”